The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-26
STORIES ABOUT ANIMALS.

astonishment he seized the bird by the leg and
made him come back to earth and do some very
humble begging.
Charles Deubler, of Dawson. Ga, has a shep-
herd dog that drives his chickens up at night
About shutdown the dog begins his rounds over
the premises. and never stops until every fowl
is driven up and is in the hen-house. II
chicken shows disposition not to retire to its
roosting- place. the dog drives it in the henhouse
and stands guard at the door until the chicken
takes perch on the roost
When the bee has filled his cell, and has COM
pleted the lid, drop of formic acid. OBJ
tanned from the poison bag connected with
the sting, Is added to the honey by per:orating
the lid with the sting. This formic acid pre-
serves honey and every other sugar solution
from fermentation. Most of the insects that
bee collectors and storers of honey, so the
sting has double function-is is q weapon and
pickle
+ Judge worrill, of McDufie, Ga, has hen
+ that beats the world for contrariness She
won't hatch any eggs but her own. if she knows
it. and WHEN she acciden tally incubates alien
egg she invariably kills the chick. She identi-
fes her chicks by strawberry mark under the
left ear nd a fondress for worms. The Judge
says she acts upon the principle of the old
farmer. whose PRAYER was, "Lord bless me and
my wife, my son John and his wife, us four and
no mora.
Mr. J. N. Mcconnell. Crawsfordsvilie Ind.
owns shepherd dog about one year old who is
in drift in a small stream running near Mr..
McConnell's house. and by making racket will
scare the fish out into the water where be can
see them. Then diving suddenly he will bring
the fish ND in his mouth. This operation he will
repeat until he catches az many he wants.
The dog is very fond of the fish and eats all that
he catches
Rats are great feeders. ten of them eating as
much a man. They are fond of both animal
and vegetable food and extremely cunning in OBJ
tanning it. gentleman who had put some choice
eggs in a hens nest found several rats gathered
about it. He watched them and saw one grasp
egg with his four legs roll himself upon his
back, turn up his tail over the egg. and catch
the end Of it between his teeth The others then
surrounded him. seized him by the neck and
dragged him away with his prize
A bishop lay dying so the story runs and the
members of his household were permitted to
take articles from his room souvenirs. A pet
monkey had watched intently the servants and
friends with the sad mementoes they bowed
low before the dying man and retired. Sudden
ly and with great gravity the monkey seized the
bishops mitre. clapped it on his he aG and began
making his ooeisance as the others had done.
The attendants at the bed OF death began to
laugh, and the dying man joined in and laughed
and laughed. and, SO the story says, was cured.
Ara Soule. of Grant, Mimi, noticed that one
of his favorite hens had ceased laying eggs, but
was growing remarkably large. Finally. after
attaining astonishing size, the hen died, and
Mr.. Soue was curious enough to hold post
mortem examination. He cut the fowl open and
was somewhat astonished when four wel-de-
veloped spring chickens popped out and began
strutting about the harn-yard. He supposes
that some trouble with the hens Organization
had stopped the egress of the eggs, and that the
natural heat of her body incubated the chicken
germs.
Mr.. G. W. Staley, of Chester. ILL.,, has a show
window at his place of business that often at
tracts the passing attention Every sunny af
ternoou when the flies grow sluggish with the
heat, a mouse can be seen in the show.window
ALT TOW I'd Hu
enough the little hunter jumps at his victim
with his tiny hands, and literally catches him
out a hy." The mouse has grown quite used
to having audience and does not run away
unless the spectator makes a sudden move while
he is at work. He is an experienced fy-catcher.
and never misses. Upon making a grab for his
prey. he sits back on his launches and calmly
devours the choice morsel
Mr.. Trotter of Charlotte. n. c. reports case
of cat adopting young rabbits and caring for
tn EN- as her own offspring Mr.. Trotter's little
boy found a nest of young rabbits in the garden
and carried them into the house, when they
were taken in care by cat which had lost her
kittens the day before. This mothery feline
nursed and nurtured the young rabbits with as
much she had bestowed upon her own
kittens. and they seemed entirely at ease under
the care OF the foster mother Unfortunately.
however. another cat al out the house found the
| young rabbits and killed them The walls of
the mamma cat were touching for several DAYS
| after the loss of her adopted family.
| In the yard of A. A. Bruner, in Chico. Cal
| some quail from the Rancho Chico have taken
| up their abode and built their A few DAYS
ago there was a pretty little brood Matched out
and the mother quail was proud of her progeny
and took pleasure in caring for them. Mr.
Bruner encouraged her in providing for the
| wants Of the young family by putting within
reach soft feed suitable for the baby quails Last
SUNDAY Maltese cat belonging to Harry Fuller
made its appearance in the yard, on foraeins
a dash at the female Quail. caught it, and was
taking it prisoner to his own domain, there to
11to~
made by the struggle Of the bird soon no.
ticed by the male, who came to the rescue, and a
regular battle ensued. The male bird made a
vicious attack upon the cat, pecklng with the
beak and striking with the wings until he forced
the cat to surrender, and release the female
The two birds got upon the fence and watched
the retreatug form of the cat with evident signs
of pleasure and satisfaction. aud doubt con-
graduated each other in bird lingo
The largest and most dangerous. although no.
the most numerous, reptile in Africa is the
crocodile Infesting the banks Of the numerous
rivers and lagoons, he lies in walt for his prev
and seizos cattle. deer and human beings.
His favorite repast. however, is dog. If one
is bowling or barking in fhe neishborhood the
crocodile is alert and the lookout for him
and, if be is caught short work is made Of him.
A few years ago q friend of mine, coming along
a well-traveled road in a buggy, with a pair of
horses. followed by a favorite pointer dog. had
to a small stream where the water was not
above the horses knees. AS he drove out of the
water he heard splash. and turned around
a crocodile and taken off. These rep
tiles have no fear and attack their prev
with bodness and audacity. During the rush
to Noodles Reef a young man, reporter for the
Durham Advertiser, while swimming across the
Crocodile river, was seized by one of these mons
ters 1t is almost daily occurrence for a life to
be taken by them somewhere in the colony. Re-
sembling the crocodile in appearance although
In miniature, Is the lguana harmless reptile
which, however. ia death to snakes. Thess rep
tiles live in holes in trees and rather pretty
in color. Next come the lizards plentiful and
harmless; then the chameleon. changing his color
to that of the object on which he may be resting
1t is quite the thing in Africa to keep or two
on a suspended branch OF a tree in your room as
they devour All immense number of fies and are
useful in that way. When annoyed the cham
eleon will utter a short bark and spit at his as
sailant.